The First Night® Springfield is the city’s Annual New Year’s Eve Celebration of the Arts, presented by the Springfield Area Arts Council. On New Year’s Eve, First Night’s events begin with free children’s hands-on activities and entertainment from 1:00 to 4:00 PM at Springfield High School. From 6:00 to 11:15 PM, the city becomes a stage, with over 30 performances taking place on ten stages in downtown Springfield. The early First Night performances, from 6:00 to 7:45 PM, include magicians, jugglers, and dancers, along with jazz and classical guitar. Locations include the Hoogland Center for the Arts, Lincoln Library (Springfield’s Public Library), First Presbyterian Church, Grace Lutheran Church, and the Lincoln Home Visitors’ Center. The traditional First Night fireworks display begins at 8:00 PM at Fourth Street and Capitol Avenue. For more info, call 217-753-8018.